The Christmas holidays for many are the hardest time of year to keep on track with their fitness goals. Cold, long, dark nights set in and people start suffering from SAD (seasonal affectionate disorder). We start to feel less inspired to work out or progress towards their goals and more inspired to stay at home where it’s warm, sat in front of the tv. So how do you keep on top of things over the next month before the January rush? Here are my top tips for you this December!

1. Set yourself new realistic goals

Keeping yourself interested over the holidays is very important! Set yourself a new short term target to reach by the end of December. Be a trail blazer, go against the grain and aim to achieve something before the customary goal setting date of January 1st. Have it written down in big bold writing and put it somewhere prominent in the house. Imagine seeing this every time you went to open the fridge!

‘SQUAT 10 MORE LBS BY JANUARY 1ST!!!’

2. Keep your workouts varied!

If you find yourself in a bit of a winter lull already, my advice is to shake things up a little! Why not try something new, change your current programme in order to spice things up. Starting a new programme will keep you interested throughout the Christmas period, helping you to banish those pre workout thoughts of doubt that appear when finishing work on a wintery evening!

3. Don’t over indulge beyond the two days of Christmas

One or two days of over indulgence a year will in most cases bear no reflection on your long term goals. So relax if you are on a diet, enjoy the day for what it is and choose the healthy options where possible. Where a lot of people go wrong is that the over eating and drinking of Christmas extends way beyond the 2 days that make up Christmas and Boxing Day. If you have extra holiday booked off work this winter, bear this in mind. You don’t need to treat every day over the Christmas holidays as if it were December 25th!

4. New to exercise? Join the gym now, not January!

For those people thinking about joining the gym for the first time in January I’d advise you join this month instead. January is the busiest month of the year for the fitness industry. For many the gym can be a very intimidating place if visiting for the first time and can in some instance scare people off. So many people go into the gym and feel intimidated by others around them who appear to know what they are doing. This can be a very de-motivating factor. Joining the gym in December will give you a chance to become comfortable with your surroundings and set your goals early so that you hit the ground running come January. Get to know the trainers and staff at your local club, they can help you achieve your goals 

5. Work Hard!

In the words of one of my favourite coaches in America, Robert Dos Remdios (http://www.coachdos.com/) ‘DO WORK!’ When in the gym, make good use of the time that you spend there. Work hard, have some fun and you’ll get where you want to be.

So those are my top tips for this December. If you keep that fire burning inside of you even when it is cold and snowy outside and don’t let off from your training schedule, I promise you that come January time you will be ready to set yourself even bigger goals!
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